1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a toy nursing bottle for a doll for simulating drinking of milk or other beverages. In particular, the invention relates to a toy nursing bottle for a doll which adds realism to the action of drinking by showing emptying of the bottle during drinking and filling the bottle with a beverage or milk upon pressing a container "filled" with the beverage or milk to the bottle nipple.
Toy nursing bottles for dolls are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,119 to Amici et al. discloses a toy nursing bottle having inner and outer shells defining a relatively narrow annular chamber therebetween filled with a colored liquid simulating milk or other beverages. The bottle portion which is adjacent to the nipple has a liquid receiving reservoir that communicates with the chamber between the inner and outer shells through a narrow opening. Upon tipping of the bottle downwardly, there is produced a slow drainage of the colored liquid from the annular chamber into the liquid receiving reservoir simulating emptying of the bottle. To add realism to the action, the inner shell is filled with a clear liquid and a flow of air is directed into the inner shell to generate bubbles. The flow of air into the inner shell is effected by pressing the nipple, which is resilient, against the lips of a doll. The nipple actuates a valve which controls flow of air into the inner shell. When the bottle is returned to its normal vertical position, the colored liquid from the liquid receiving reservoir flows back into the chamber between the inner and outer shell. The Amici toy nursing bottle, therefore, does not have an appearance of an empty bottle upon returning the bottle to the vertical position after completion of the drinking action.
A toy vessel that adds realism to the action of drinking by showing emptying of the vessel upon drinking and filling it with a beverage upon approaching a container "filled" with the beverage is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,531 to Convertine. U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,531 discloses a toy glass having inner and outer shells defining a narrow space therebetween filled with a colored liquid and a liquid receiving reservoir adjacent to the outer rim of the glass and defined by two horizontal walls. The inner wall of the glass has an opening through which fluid is able to flow from the space between the inner and outer shells into the liquid receiving chamber. The opening is closed by a magnetic and gravity valve. Upon tipping of the glass to show a drinking action, the valve moves away from the opening under the force of gravity, and fluid flows from the space between the inner and outer shells into the liquid receiving chamber, simulating a drinking action. When the glass is returned to its vertical position, the valve, under the action of gravity, drops back into the opening, preventing back flow of the liquid from the liquid receiving reservoir into the space between the two vessels, giving an appearance of an empty glass. When the container is approached to the glass as to pour liquid thereinto, a magnetic element located adjacent to the "pouring" orifice of the container acts on the valve and lifts it out of the opening so that the liquid can flow from the liquid receiving reservoir into the space between the two shells, giving an appearance of filling the glass from the container. While this toy provides a realistic impression of a drinking action from the glass, both the valve and the carton have to be provided with cooperating magnetic elements.